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Smartphone + Water = :-(

30th October 2017

In days gone by a mobile phone was simply a portable telephone that allowed us to make and receive calls away from home, and were often only used in the case of an ‘emergency’. Oh how times have changed!

Nowadays we wouldn’t dream of going anywhere (not even to the loo for some – hold that thought!) without our smartphone. Being without your smartphone doesn’t bear thinking about as it’s no longer just a phone… it’s your camera, your photo album, your navigator, your itinerary… your world!

Our attachment to our smartphones, and desire to take them everywhere with us, means they are exposed to whatever the day might bring. But what if the day involves being soaked in a coat pocket in an unexpected shower, or being accidentally dropped in the sea whilst on holiday?

We all know that smartphones and water don’t mix, but how many of us would know what to do in the unfortunate event that our phone gets wet?

What to do when your smartphone goes for a swim

Here are a few tips that might help you save the data (including photos and videos) on your smartphone should it ever get exposed to water:

DO…

…shut it down immediately. Turn your phone off straightaway as leaving it on can short circuit the electronics and cause irreparable damage.

…rinse off other liquids. If your phone has been submerged in anything other than fresh water, you should rinse it ASAP (once you’ve turned it off). Fluids such as salt water can be highly corrosive so need to be removed.

…take the battery out, and the SIM card and the micro SD too. Remove all the essential parts so they can dry ASAP.

…use compressed air if you have it. Having removed the battery and all other essential parts, a few squirts of compressed air can help shift any excess liquid and stop the device from getting water logged.

…submerge your phone in silica gel packs, if you have them, if not rice will suffice. Silica gel packets are designed to absorb moisture so are better than rice.

…leave your phone for 72 hours to fully dry out. Leave your phone submerged in silica gel packets (or rice) in a sunny spot for three days. Don’t be tempted to try turning it on sooner as you risk the circuit shorting if it’s not completely dry.

Unable to recover your files?

If despite following all of these steps, you are unable to successfully restart your phone or you find that your SD card is corrupt, you may still be able to recover any files you had on your phone with the assistance of a file/photo recovery service such as Data Resus.

Data Resus offers both an online do-it-yourself software recovery service (with free online evaluation), and a ‘no-recovery, no-fee’ send in service for more complex or sensitive data recovery tasks.

Raspberry Pi

Cardwave are delighted to be recognised by the Raspberry Pi Foundation for being a valued partner and supplier. We have enjoyed a close business relationship with the foundation since the massively successful launch of the Raspberry Pi in early 2012. Cardwave works with memory distributor, Xel Electronics, who supply Samsung SD cards to Premier Farnell and RS Components, two of the companies authorised by the charity to supply the Raspberry Pi. We are pleased to work with the foundation again on this superb SD card offering. Visit website